Scallion Oil Noodles

Ingredients

• 12 spring onions
• 250ml neutral oil
• 4 slices ginger
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
• 400g fresh thin wheat noodles
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, for the noodle water

Before you cook

• Trim the spring onions and cut them into 6cm lengths, keeping the white and green parts separate.
• Pat every piece thoroughly dry with a cloth so the oil does not spit.
• Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for fifteen minutes, then drain them.

Steps

1. Pour the oil into a wok or deep pan and add the spring onion whites and the ginger.
2. Set the pan over low heat and let the oil come up slowly; it should never bubble hard.
3. Fry the whites gently for eight minutes, until they are golden and beginning to shrivel.
4. Add the spring onion greens and the drained shrimp, keeping the heat low.
5. Cook for a further ten to twelve minutes, turning occasionally, until the greens are dark brown and brittle.
6. Lift all the solids out onto kitchen paper with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
7. Pour all but four tablespoons of the oil into a heatproof jar to keep for another day.
8. Add both soy sauces and the sugar to the oil left in the pan and simmer for one minute, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce looks syrupy.
9. Take the sauce off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
10. Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the noodles for about two minutes, until just tender.
11. Drain the noodles and shake them well, but do not rinse them.
12. Tip the hot noodles into a warm bowl, pour over the sauce and toss until every strand is glossy and brown.
13. Crumble the fried spring onions over the top and serve while the noodles are still hot.